Hatch surviving prison, not 'country club'

MORGANTOWN, W.Va., March 16 (UPI) -- "Survivor" winner Richard Hatch, who became the guy folks love to hate, hates his own life, he said from his federal prison cell in West Virginia.

While saying the minimum-security facility in Morgantown, W.Va., is better than "the county lockup," Hatch told People magazine that people are mistaken if they believe he's in a "country club."

"This is prison. Just because it's got a beautiful view of the countryside doesn't make it a resort," he said.

Hatch is in the 14th month of a 51-month stretch following his 2006 conviction of evading taxes on his $1 million "Survivor" 2000 winnings and on income from rental property and $321,000 for hosting a radio show.

Hatch claims he saw a member of the program's crew giving food to contestants during the course of the show.

"I demanded that something be done," said Hatch, who maintains he's innocent. He said he met with the show's executive producers, who agreed to pay his taxes if he kept quiet.

CBS spokeswoman Colleen Sullivan said, "The allegations have no merit, and certainly no one connected with the show agreed to pay the taxes on Richard's prize money."